For over a decade, Rafael Nadal and Richard Mille have maintained a successful collaboration, consistently pushing the boundaries of innovation. Their latest venture, the fourth addition to the Baby Nadal collection, was unveiled on Wednesday. The RM 35-03 Automatic Nadal is a testament to their productive partnership, showcasing cutting-edge horological innovation with a revolutionary “butterfly rotor.”
This collaboration between the tennis pro and Swiss watchmaker began long before the launch of the Baby Nadal collection in 2021. Nadal expressed the synergy in their working relationship, stating, “In our respective domains, we both seek to achieve excellence. We speak the same language, Richard and I.”
Following the inspiration from Nadal’s on-court Richard Mille tourbillions, the RM 35-03 boasts an athletic and ergonomic design with cutouts reminiscent of the RM 27-04 Tourbillon. Available in three versions—blue and white quartz TPT, carbon TPT, and white quartz TPT—the fourth iteration is crafted from a combination of carbon and quartz, featuring a striking red and black color scheme.
The 44 mm case is adorned with sapphire crystals on both the front and back, allowing a clear view of the fully skeletonized movement powered by the RMAL2 caliber. At the heart of this intricate timepiece is the patented butterfly rotor, a groundbreaking mechanical innovation that took three years to develop. This rotor introduces a new approach to movement winding technology, providing an interactive experience for the wearer.
By pressing the pusher at 7 o’clock (activating the sport mode), a gear train dedicated to the rotor deploys its two weights (made of titanium and metal) at a 180-degree angle. The transition between the normal mode and the sport mode offers haptic feedback, allowing the wearer to feel the adjustments in weight segments on their wrist. Additionally, a push button at 2 o’clock enables the selection of winding, neutral, and hand-setting functions, with the chosen function displayed by the hand at 2 o’clock. This innovative timepiece stands as a remarkable fusion of sportsmanship and horological expertise.
